Two sewing show-off posts in a row! Clearly my unemployment has been productive, but it also makes for less things to blog about. I have a few more posts brewing in my head which will hopefully come to fruition later this week. But, until then, sewing!

I call my latest project the Princess Sweetheart dress, since that's the two draws of this pattern - princess seams and a sweetheart neckline. I found the pattern while browsing Kwik Sew's website for vintage-inspired stuff, and knew I wanted to make it after the Butterick Wrap Dress. The K3929 is my fourth project since learned to sew in October, and there was only one part where I wanted to rip out my hair (but I'll get to that in a second).

The dress looks strange on the model (I blame her awkward stance, straight hair and the fact that the dress is not fitted to her at all) so I was really hoping it wouldn't look that 'off' on me. I bought the pattern, zipper, interfacing and shirting cotton all at Marshalls for about $50.

It only took a few (can't remember how many exactly) days to sew up, and these photos are actually the second time I've worn it. I credit my speediness being 1 part getting better at sewing, 2 parts easy-to-understand pattern and instructions and 3 parts a shiny new sewing machine that my great-uncle gave to me.

I definitely should have made a size smaller. I ended up taking a lot in (maybe 3-4 inches) after the fact, mostly in the zipper and in the front seams, which was actually fairly easy. I kept the skirt area larger to have more volume, and I'm able to wear my smaller black net petticoat underneath. It's still a smidge large in the waist, but it's nothing a belt can't fix!

Ian and I took these photos behind the streetcar barns in Old Strathcona, shortly before FINALLY signing up to get library cards. I've been back in Edmonton for exactly a year and worked right across the street from the main branch, but didn't get my card until now. Sad.

On to the details! This dress was very easy to make up, and had all the hallmarks of a perfect dress (at least to me, anyway):

Cap sleeves (this was my first time setting in a sleeve and I think I did pretty darn well!)

princess seams

sweetheart neckline (this dress had sooooo many facings! There are some weird armpit facings that I almost skipped because I just couldn't wrap my head around them. I put it in and ripped it out twice before getting it on the third try. It's hard to think backwards, upside-down and inside-out sometimes)

and pockets (Who doesn't love pockets? Actually, I know of someone, but I still love her).

The cotton is also super comfy and doesn't irons very nicely. Score!

I also did a blind hem for the second time. I don't know how I feel about blind hems on the machine. Perhaps once I'm better at the origami-like folding you have to do I'll like them, but I feel like the stitches are so close together that the hem is still visible.